dinner: [13] The etymological meaning of dinner is ‘breakfast’. The word comes ultimately from an unrecorded Vulgar Latin verb *disjūnāre, a compound formed from the prefix dis- ‘un-’ and jējūnus ‘fasting, hungry’ (source of English jejune [17]): hence, ‘break one’s fast’. Old French adopted it in two phases: as desiuner, which became modern French déjeuner (originally ‘breakfast’ but later ‘lunch’), borrowed by English in the 18th century; and as disner.
In later Old French this developed into diner (source of English dine [13]), which came to be used as a noun – from which English acquired dinner. In English it has always denoted the main meal of the day, although the timing of this has varied over the centuries, and continues to do so, according to region, social class, etc. => jejune
dinner (n.)
c. 1300, from Old French disner (11c.), originally "breakfast," later "lunch," noun use of infinitive disner (see dine). Always used in English for the main meal of the day; shift from midday to evening began with the fashionable classes. Childish reduplication din-din is attested from 1905.
双语例句
1. Guess what? I'm going to dinner at Mrs. Combley's tonight.
你猜怎么着？今晚我要去康伯利夫人家里赴宴。
来自柯林斯例句
2. "Let's invite her to dinner." — "Over my dead body!"
“我们请她来吃晚饭吧。”——“除非我死了！”
来自柯林斯例句
3. He asked for a glass of port after dinner.
晚饭后，他要了一杯波尔图葡萄酒。
来自柯林斯例句
4. My sister needed an escort for a company dinner.
我妹妹需要一个陪她参加公司晚宴的男伴。
来自柯林斯例句
5. That night she, Nicholson and the crew had a celebratory dinner.
